Chandigarh (Punjab), April 26: Jammu and Kashmir Minister Sakina Itoo met with senior officials of the Punjab and Chandigarh administrations in Chandigarh on Saturday to discuss issues concerning the safety and well-being of students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in the region.
Speaking to ANI, Itoo emphasised that due to some incident, the students should not be held at fault as they have come to study only.
“I had come here to meet the students from J&K. I met with the Governor, and both the DGPs (of Punjab and Chandigarh) were present at that meeting. There isn’t any major issue, just some minor incidents that happened here, where there were arguments among the students. The students themselves are not very disturbed, but their parents are upset. They are calling their children back home, but since the exams are approaching, I suggested that if possible, the exams could be postponed or made online, so that the students can be relieved from this distress,” the J-K minister said.
“I have spoken with the J&K students and also with the college administration. The police have played their role well. Whenever there were small complaints, they took immediate action. Due to some incident, the students should not be held at fault. They have come here only to study,” Sakina Itoo said.
During the meeting, the Minister requested the Governor to take proactive steps to instil some sense of security among the J-K students and business community.
The Governor assured the Minister of full cooperation and stated that the Punjab and Chandigarh Administrations would ensure the safety and security of all Jammu and Kashmir residents, as well as the students.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav and DGP, Chandigarh Police, Surendra Singh Yadav, were also present on the occasion.
During her visit, Sakina personally engaged with a cross-section of the Jammu and Kashmir student community and business professionals based in Punjab. The Minister held discussions with them regarding their safety concerns and emotional well-being, particularly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. She also engaged with several students and individuals on the phone, given the prevailing situation.
Later, Sakina Itoo visited the Universal Group of Institutions in Chandigarh to discuss the security concerns of students with college authorities, as students from Jammu and Kashmir in this college had left for their hometowns.
The Minister also visited the Saraswati Group of Colleges in Chandigarh, where she personally interacted with the students. She assured the students of all possible assistance from the Government.–(ANI)
